Question 1

What medical waste do physician offices typically generate?

Accepted Answer

Physician offices generate sharps (needles, lancets, syringes), blood-contaminated materials (gauze, gloves, dressings), specimen containers, and pathological waste from biopsies or minor procedures. All must be collected by a Florida-licensed biomedical waste transporter.

Question 2

How often does a small medical clinic need medical waste pickup?

Accepted Answer

Most small to mid-size clinics need pickup every 2–4 weeks. Sharps containers should never overflow — if yours are full before your scheduled pickup, Exodus can adjust your frequency. FDOH requires biomedical waste not be accumulated more than 30 days on-site.

Question 3

Can I flush unused medications down the sink?

Accepted Answer

No. Most medications should not be flushed. RCRA hazardous pharmaceuticals (P-listed drugs) are prohibited from drain disposal and must be disposed of as hazardous waste. Non-hazardous medications should be disposed of through a licensed pharmaceutical waste program, not the drain.

Question 4

Does HIPAA require shredding patient records?

Accepted Answer

Yes. HIPAA requires covered entities to implement reasonable safeguards for PHI disposal. For paper records, this means rendering PHI unreadable through shredding, burning, or pulping. Exodus's NAID AAA-certified shredding service satisfies HIPAA disposal requirements and provides a Certificate of Destruction.

Question 5

What training does clinic staff need for medical waste handling?

Accepted Answer

OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogen Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030) requires annual training for employees with occupational exposure to blood or OPIM. Exodus provides training certificates included with your service agreement.

Medical Clinic Waste Disposal in South Florida